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Replacing sugar with artificial sweetener may help your gut microbiome

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 19:10:11 +0100

One of the longest trials of artificial sweeteners to date found that they may increase beneficial gut bacteria, though the boost may also be related to weight loss


We can use ordinary sugar in the search for dark matter

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 16:59:07 +0100

Physicists have tried so many different ways to find dark matter, but none has been successful. Now an unexpected contender has entered the arena - ordinary table sugar.


We're starting to understand why childhood adversity leaves its mark

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 13:00:20 +0100

Experiencing severe hardship in childhood can have a lasting impact. Understanding this better could open the door to more effective treatments


Record-breaking chip sidesteps Moore’s law by growing upwards

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 11:00:15 +0100

A new chip design includes 41 vertical layers of semiconductor and insulator materials, which allow it to outrun the limits of miniaturisation


Why the next generation of mRNA vaccines is set to be even better

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 20:00:57 +0100

mRNA vaccines are quick and easy to make, while virus-like nanoparticles produce a stronger immune response. Now, the two approaches are being combined to give us the best of both worlds


A purrfect guide to cats and our complex relationship with them

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

Our bond with cats – which has seen them go from hunter to house pet – may be more diverse than with any other animal. And Jerry D. Moore's Cat Tales: A history rounds up the lot, says Bethan Ackerley


The centre of our galaxy may be teeming with dark matter particles

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 21:40:20 +0100

A mysterious excess of gamma rays in the middle of the Milky Way may come from dark matter particles smashing into one another and annihilating


There's a simple way we could drastically cut AI energy use

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 18:00:27 +0100

If users chose the most efficient model each time they performed a task with AI, researchers calculate it would slash energy consumption by more than a quarter


Are biofuels a good idea? Only if you're a farmer or shipping company

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 16:00:34 +0100

The rush to grow more biofuels continues, despite the fact they increase CO2 emissions rather than lower them, raise food prices and devastate nature. It has to stop, says Michael Le Page


Digital ID cards could be a disaster in the UK and beyond

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

The British government isn't the only one looking to introduce digital ID cards. There is so much to worry about here, not least the threat of hacks, says Annalee Newitz


School phone bans may actually harm some students' mental health

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 14:00:16 +0100

The evidence to support phone bans in schools has been inconclusive, and now it seems that the move could harm some students' mental health in a particular way


Mathematicians have found a hidden 'reset button' for undoing rotation

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 12:00:43 +0100

Mathematicians thought that they understood how rotation works, but now a new proof has revealed a surprising twist that makes it possible to reset even a complex sequence of motion


Is it really likely that humans will go extinct in exactly 314 years?

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

Feedback isn't entirely convinced by a new piece of research that claims by 2339 "there will be no humans", even though the authors used three methods to make their calculation


New Scientist recommends Sheri S. Tepper's science fiction novel Grass

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week


There is a major psychological flaw in how society punishes people

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

Our experiments have revealed that we're getting it wrong when it comes to crime and punishment. This is undermining society, say Raihan Alam and Tage Rai


Del Toro's Frankenstein is a sumptuous take on a classic parable

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

With enthralling visuals and intense performances, this version of Mary Shelley's sci-fi tale reminds us to ask not only if we can create life, but if we can live with our creations, says Davide Abbatescianni


Ancient lead exposure may have influenced how our brains evolved

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 20:00:12 +0100

Lead poisoning isn't just a modern phenomenon: fossil teeth show signs that it affected ancient hominids, and Homo sapiens may have coped better than our close relatives


Dinosaur fossil rewrites the story of how sauropods got long necks

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 17:00:39 +0100

A 230-million-year-old fossil found in Argentina shows that the evolution of sauropod dinosaurs’ long necks began earlier than previously thought


The 30-year fight over how many numbers we need to describe reality

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 17:00:10 +0100

In 1992, three physicists began an argument about how many numbers we need to fully describe the universe. Their surprisingly long-running quarrel takes us to the heart of what’s truly real


CO2 levels in Earth's atmosphere jumped by a record amount in 2024

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 16:25:26 +0100

The global average concentration of CO2 surged by 3.5 parts per million to reach 423.9 ppm last year, fuelling worries that the planet’s ability to soak up excess carbon is weakening


The AI bubble is heading towards a burst but it won't be the end of AI

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 14:08:49 +0100

Economists, bankers and even the boss of OpenAI are warning of a rapidly inflating AI bubble. If and when it bursts, what will happen to the technological breakthroughs of the past few years?


Paralysed man can feel objects through another person's hand

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 17:52:59 +0100

Keith Thomas, a man in his 40s with no sensation or movement in his hands, is able to feel and move objects by controlling another person's hand via a brain implant. The technique might one day even allow us to experience another person's body over long distances.


Martian volcanoes may have transported ice to the planet's equator

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 17:00:47 +0100

The equatorial regions of Mars are home to unexpectedly enormous layers of ice, and they may have been put there by dramatic volcanic eruptions billions of years ago


'Pregnancy test' for skeletons could help reveal ancient mothers

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 15:06:12 +0100

Progesterone, oestrogen and testosterone can be detected in skeletons over 1000 years old, offering a way to identify individuals who died while pregnant or soon after giving birth


Mother's voice seems to boost language development in premature babies

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 06:00:18 +0100

Babies born too soon seem to have stronger connections in one of the major brain areas that supports language processing if they regularly heard their mother read them a story while in intensive care


Chatbots work best when you speak to them with formal language

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 15:00:38 +0100

Are you terse and informal when speaking to an AI chatbot? If so, you might be getting worse answers than if you used more formal language


A black hole fell into a star – then ate its way out again

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 13:00:55 +0100

Stars often fall into black holes, and now it seems the opposite can also occur, producing an extra long-lasting explosion as the star is consumed from within


Serum based on plant extracts boosts hair growth in weeks

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 15:00:16 +0100

Applying a daily serum that contains extracts of a tropical plant improved hair density and strand thickness in just 56 days


Coral reefs are at a tipping point after surging global temperatures

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 01:01:38 +0100

Record-breaking ocean temperatures have caused widespread bleaching and death among warm-water corals, which could have far-reaching consequences


Learning to play nice with other people

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

How did cooperation emerge in a cut-throat world? There are clues in the prisoner's dilemma experiment, says Peter Rowlett


Blue Planet Red is wrong about Mars – but it's surprisingly poignant

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

Brian Cory Dobbs's documentary promotes the baseless idea that Mars was once inhabited by an advanced civilisation. But there's some value in how it inadvertently documents a generation of otherwise-sensible scientists, says Simon Ings


Physicists are uncovering when nature’s strongest force falters

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 17:50:54 +0100

The strong nuclear force may abruptly loosen its grip on the fundamental particles that make up matter at a special “critical point” – researchers are now getting a clearer picture of when that point is reached


Evolution of intelligence in our ancestors may have come at a cost

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:00:36 +0100

By tracing when variations in the human genome first appeared, researchers have found that advances in cognitive abilities may have led to our vulnerability to mental illness


Therapy may be the most effective way to ease irritable bowel syndrome

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:30:24 +0100

People with irritable bowel syndrome are often only given treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy after others have failed, but research suggests this approach is more effective than we thought


Stunning images highlight fight to save Earth’s rich biodiversity 

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:00:31 +0100

From an alien-looking flat-faced longhorn beetle to an abandoned baby rhino, images at London’s Natural History Museum show what we stand to lose from the decimation of global biodiversity


'Sword Dragon' ichthyosaur had enormous eyes and a lethal snout

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 02:00:19 +0100

A beautifully preserved skeleton found on the UK’s Jurassic Coast has been identified as a new species of the marine reptiles known as ichthyosaurs


Robotic underwater glider sets out to circumnavigate the globe

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 01:30:02 +0100

Redwing, a robotic submarine about the size of a surfboard, is embarking on a five-year journey that will follow the famed explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage around the world


Hannah Ritchie's new book on net zero is a breath of fresh air

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

Clearing the Air answers all your burning questions about the net-zero transition, with optimistic, data-led insights designed to address misinformation about climate change, says Madeleine Cuff


We've discovered another reason why naked mole rats live for so long

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 20:00:47 +0100

The longevity of naked mole rats may partly be due to them having a variant of a key protein that boosts DNA repair – a discovery that could help extend our own lives


Swirly lasers can control an ungovernable cousin of magnetism

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 20:00:34 +0100

Short pulses of light that impart rotation on a material's atoms can be used to switch a property called ferroaxiality, which could let us build very stable and efficient memory devices


Hidden ecosystem of the ovaries plays a surprising role in fertility

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 20:00:24 +0100

A woman's fertility declines with age, which is often attributed to a fall in egg number and quality, but the environment of the ovaries themselves may also be responsible


We are horrified to discover that not every rose has a thorn

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

Feedback is shocked to learn that one of our most cherished metaphors involving roses and thorns really needs to be revisited. That's what happens when you invite the botanists to play


Top 250 oil and gas firms own just 1.5% of the world's renewable power

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:00:29 +0100

Despite public promises by many fossil fuel firms that they are investing in the green transition, it turns out that they have made little contribution to the growth of renewable energy


Why not all ultra-processed foods are bad for you

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

Just because a food is ultra-processed doesn’t mean it is unhealthy. Regulation and eating advice must reflect this, say Julia Belluz and Kevin Hall, co-authors of Food Intelligence: The science of how food both nourishes and harms us


How pie-in-the-sky conspiracies distract from climate dangers

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

The conspiracy theory that bad actors use "chemtrails" from aircraft to poison us sucks energy from legitimate protest against aviation's effects on the climate, says Graham Lawton


Selfish sperm see older fathers pass on more disease-causing mutations

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:00:12 +0100

Older men are more likely to pass on disease-causing mutations to their children because of the faster growth of mutant cells in the testes with age


King Richard III's oral microbiome hints he had severe gum disease

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:00:59 +0100

The skeleton of King Richard III, which was found beneath a car park more than a decade ago, has well-preserved teeth, allowing scientists to sequence his oral microbiome


The Whispers of Rock is a personal journey through aeons of geology

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

In her new book, earth scientist Anjana Khatwa writes a love letter to Earth's rocks and mountains, offering a passionate blend of science and spirituality


Pig liver transplant into a living person edges it closer to the norm

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 06:01:43 +0100

The first ever transplantation of a pig's liver into a living person helps us better understand how animal organs can be used to prolong, or even save, lives


Electrons inside graphene have been pushed to supersonic speeds

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:18:35 +0100

Making electrons flow like a liquid is difficult, but inside graphene researchers forced them to move so fast that they created dramatic shockwaves


Memory chips just 10 atoms thick could vastly increase capacity

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:00:29 +0100

A memory chip just 10 atoms thick has been tested in a lab and integrated into conventional chips, demonstrating a technology that could improve the capacity of our devices


The moon's largest crater didn't form in the way we thought

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:00:15 +0100

The impact that carved out the South Pole-Aitken basin on the moon appears to have come from the north, not the south as previously thought – and NASA’s upcoming mission could investigate further


Why everything you thought you knew about your immune system is wrong

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:00:09 +0100

Immunologist Daniel Davis wants to eradicate long-held myths and replace them with wonder at the complexity of the body’s defence system


Nobel prize in chemistry awarded for work on molecular architecture

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:58:33 +0100

Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi have been honoured for the development of metal-organic frameworks, porous materials that can capture water or pollutants


There are five types of sleep – here's what that means for your health

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 20:00:27 +0100

Scientists have identified five sleep profiles, each of which is linked to distinct mental health symptoms and brain activity patterns


Is the universe really one big black hole?

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 19:00:57 +0100

According to the equations that govern black holes, the larger one of these cosmic behemoths is the lower its average density – given that the universe contains a lot of relatively empty space, could the whole cosmos be a black hole?


One of Earth’s most vital carbon sinks is faltering. Can we save it?

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 17:00:11 +0100

For decades, forest, grasslands and other land ecosystems have collectively absorbed up to a third of the carbon dioxide we emit each year - but this climate buffer may be collapsing far sooner than anyone expected


Biodegradable plastic made from bamboo is strong and easy to recycle

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 17:00:01 +0100

Bamboo is a highly renewable resource, and its cellulose fibres can be turned into a hard, mouldable plastic for use in cars and appliances


Nobel prize for physics goes to trio behind quantum computing chips

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 11:58:15 +0100

The 2025 Nobel prize in physics has gone to John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John Martinis, whose work has led to the development of today's quantum computers


Galaxies fling out matter much more violently than we thought

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 20:44:38 +0100

An analysis of the afterglow of the big bang sheds light on how black holes distribute mass in the universe, and why some matter previously seemed to have been missing


General relativity might save some planets from death

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 18:00:29 +0100

Some habitable worlds orbiting dead stars could be kept alive for aeons thanks to a quirk of Einstein’s theory of gravity


What’s my Alzheimer’s risk, and can I really do anything to change it?

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 17:00:12 +0100

Can you escape your genetic inheritance, and do lifestyle changes actually make a difference? Daniel Cossins set out to understand what the evidence on Alzheimer’s really means for him


Nobel prize for medicine goes to trio for work on immune tolerance

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:42:21 +0100

The 2025 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine has gone to Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for their discoveries around how we keep our immune system under control


Shackleton knew his doomed ship wasn’t the strongest before sailing

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:00:13 +0100

Endurance, the wooden ship that Ernest Shackleton took to Antarctica in 1915, wasn't built to withstand frozen seas – and the famous explorer knew it


Would a ban on genetic engineering of wildlife hamper conservation?

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 09:00:14 +0100

Some conservation groups are calling for an effective ban on genetic modification, but others say these technologies are crucial for preserving biodiversity


Prepare to enjoy four spectacular supermoons in a row

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

If you are a fan of the moon, then the next four months will give you something special to watch out for, says Abigail Beall


New Scientist recommends Chris Hadfield's Final Orbit

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week


Do black holes exist and, if not, what have we really been looking at?

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 17:00:19 +0100

Black holes are so strange that physicists have long wondered if they are quite what they seem. Now we are set to find out if they are instead gravastars, fuzzballs or something else entirely


The exceptionally tasty new fermented foods being cooked up in the lab

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 17:00:00 +0100

Fermented foods make up a third of what we eat and were mostly discovered by accident centuries ago. Now a fermentation revolution is promising extraordinary new flavours and novel ways to boost gut health


Your happiness in life may not be U-shaped - here's how it could vary

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 17:54:51 +0100

We thought happiness peaked at the beginning and end of life, but a study from Germany suggests a more pessimistic outlook for our later years


There is an odd streak in the universe – and we still don’t know why

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 17:00:27 +0100

Astronomers have long thought the universe should look generally the same in every direction, but an anomaly in the radiation from the big bang persists even after a new analysis from radio telescopes


Exceptional star is the most pristine object known in the universe

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 16:00:12 +0100

A star found in the Large Magellanic Cloud is remarkably unpolluted by heavier elements, suggesting it is descended from the universe’s earliest stars


20 bird species can understand each other’s anti-cuckoo call

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 11:00:45 +0100

Several species of birds from different continents use and understand similar alarm calls when they see an invader that might lay an egg in their nest – this shared call hints at the origin of language


Kids as young as 4 innately use sorting algorithms to solve problems

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 11:00:11 +0100

It was previously thought that children younger than 7 couldn't find efficient solutions to complex problems, but new research suggests that much earlier, children can happen upon known sorting algorithms used by computer scientists


Why Our Brains, Our Selves won the Royal Society science book prize

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:00:38 +0100

Sandra Knapp, chair of the judging panel for the 2025 Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize, explains why neurologist Masud Husain’s collection of case studies is such an enlightening, compassionate book


Read an extract from Our Brains, Our Selves by Masud Husain

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:00:36 +0100

In this passage from Our Brains, Our Selves, winner of the Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize, neuroscientist Masud Husain recounts how novelist Marcel Proust became convinced, wrongly, that he'd had a stroke


Our verdict on ‘The Dispossessed’: A tricky but rewarding novel

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:00:32 +0100

The New Scientist Book Club has just finished reading Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Dispossessed. Most of our members enjoyed it, even if the sheer volume of ideas in the book made it a challenging read


Disturbing Netflix mystery explores a world out to 'solve' adolescence

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

Set at a strange academy in small-town Vermont, Netflix’s Wayward aims to pacify unruly teens by master manipulation. Bethan Ackerley finds a creepy, troubled world


Autism may have subtypes that are genetically distinct from each other

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 17:00:53 +0100

Autism may exist in multiple forms, with the condition's genetics and signs differing according to the age at diagnosis


Endearing photos of bats show clever adaptations like long tongues

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

In his book The Genius Bat, ecologist Yossi Yovel explains why these mammals are a vital part of ecosystems, pollinating plants and keeping insect populations in check


Exploring PMS is a great idea, but The Period Brain can be simplistic

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

Premenstrual syndrome and its symptoms is neglected by science, so Sarah Hill's new book is welcome. But it needs more on genetics, not just lifestyle changes, says Alexandra Thompson


Should we worry AI will create deadly bioweapons? Not yet, but one day

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 20:00:38 +0100

AI tools are being used to design proteins and even viruses, leading to fears these could eventually be used to evade bioweapon controls


Antarctica may have crossed a tipping point that leads to rising seas

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 16:00:44 +0100

Scientists are beginning to understand the sudden loss of sea ice in Antarctica – and there is growing evidence that it represents a permanent shift with potentially catastrophic consequences


Why 'beauty factories' could solve two massive cosmological mysteries

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

Facilities that make particles called B mesons may seem obscure, but they could help explain why there is more matter than antimatter and what dark matter is, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein


Rogue planet gains 6 billion tonnes per second in record growth spurt

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 14:00:51 +0100

A free-floating planet has been seen devouring astonishing amounts of matter, hinting that stars and planets are more alike than we thought


How Jane Goodall changed the way we see animals – and the world

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:02:18 +0100

Jane Goodall, who chronicled the social lives of chimps, has died, but she leaves a lasting legacy on how we view the natural world


How playing a musical instrument helps children learn to read

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:00:57 +0100

Learning to play an instrument has long been linked to improved reading skills among children, and we may finally understand why


What might the humble house mouse be trying to tell us?

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

Feedback is amazed to find that the audible vocalisations of the house mouse is all but unstudied in favour of the ultrasonic sounds humans can’t hear. SQUEAK!


Why abandoning psychedelic research in the 1970s was a blow to science

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100

Work on medical uses of mind-altering substances was sidelined for decades by the political backlash against drugs, a misstep that has echoes in today’s intolerance of some fields of study


Jane Goodall, dogged advocate for the natural world, has died aged 91

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 21:30:19 +0100

Acclaimed conservationist and chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall has died, leaving behind a legacy of empathy for primates and the natural world


Evolution may explain why women live longer than men

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 20:00:28 +0100

In most mammals, females live longer than males, but in birds the trend goes the other way – a study of over 1000 species points to possible reasons for these differences


The mystery of highly reactive oxygen has finally been solved

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 17:00:42 +0100

Singlet oxygen can be damaging in both cells and batteries but it has taken almost 60 years to work out exactly when it shows up in chemical reactions within both


'We're precipitating an extermination rather than an extinction event'

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 17:00:33 +0100

Broadcaster and campaigner Chris Packham is on a mission to cut overconsumption, take on fossil fuel giants and create a fairer world


NASA's asteroid deflection test had unexpected and puzzling outcome

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 16:00:43 +0100

The DART mission achieved its goal of changing one asteroid’s orbit around another, but questions remain about why the orbit continued to alter over the following month


How brain organoids are revealing what truly makes humans unique

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 15:00:55 +0100

Madeline Lancaster created the first brain organoids, which have revolutionised our understanding of how the brain works - but also raised ethical questions


The best new science fiction books of October 2025

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 10:00:55 +0100

Science fiction legend Ursula K. Le Guin is honoured with a new collection out this month, and sci-fi fans can also look forward to fiction from astronaut Chris Hadfield and award-winning authors Ken Liu and Mary Robinette Kowal


The most important mathematician you’ve (probably) never heard of

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 15:24:37 +0100

Alexander Grothendieck was a titan in his field, making deep connections that fuelled a revolution in mathematics, before giving it all up and disappearing. Jacob Aron explores what his work meant


We now know why a belly button becomes an 'innie'

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 21:27:38 +0100

Scientists have discovered a new abdominal structure called the umbilical sheath, which anchors the remnant of the umbilical cord to deep abdominal tissues and helps determine the shape of your navel


Egg cells made with DNA from human skin fertilised in the lab

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 18:05:44 +0100

An innovative use of skin cells could provide a route for same-sex couples or women with fertility problems to have children that both partners are genetically related to


'Funny' videos of stressed and frightened pets are no laughing matter

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 17:54:42 +0100

Social media is awash with videos of cats and dogs getting startled or hurt for our entertainment. We should all be more alert to poor animal welfare, says Christa Lesté-Lasserre